Angel is a joy to be around. She has a friendly personality and a beautiful smile. She is always taking care of others, especially children. Angel has been through a lot in her life, and through it all she has proven she is a survivor and a blessing to all those around her.
Enjoying life in Boise
Angel, a single mom, has five children of her own — three boys and two girls, ages five, six, fourteen, eighteen and twenty. Before they came to Boise they lived in North Carolina. Angel says her family loves living in Idaho. “Our life here is good,” she says. “Most people in Boise are kind to refugees. Some are afraid of us though. I would like them to know more about who we are and how we are contributing to the community.”
Angel loves having a childcare business and has a van to help pick up kids who need rides. “I love working with children,” she says. “I’ve been caring for kids as long as I can remember.”
A difficult journey from Congo
In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where Angel is from, her husband was a farmer and she stayed home to take care of the children. She left the DRC after witnessing the violent attack and death of her husband. Fleeing for their lives, eventually Angel and her children were able to get across the border to safety. But she still had nightmares long after they reached a safe destination. Angel and her family lived in a refugee camp in Uganda from 2009 to 2017. Her youngest two children were born there. “Life in the camp was very hard,” she says. “There were many kids there who didn’t have parents at all, and conditions were difficult. We tried to help and care for as many kids as we could.”
Hope for tomorrow
In the future, Angel would like to have a bigger daycare and buy a house for her family. She would also love to go back to Africa to help orphaned kids in refugee camps. “There are hundreds of kids without parents,” she says. “They need protection. I would love to help them.”
Boise is lucky to have you, Angel, and so are the children in your childcare.
